Inside Track Club ~ Harbor Freight Tools

[toys]

Hopefully all of you have heard of Harbor Freight Tools, but it just occurred to me that it could be possible that some of you may not have heard of their (fairly) new membership card: Inside Track Club.

Membership costs $29.99 annually.

Exclusive monthly members only savings offers with thousands of dollars of savings across over 150 items
mailed to your doorstep
Weekly emails with members only offers
Early access to Harbor Freight's famous Parking Lot Sales, one hour before the general public
Deal of the day
Every day a new product coupon is available which is exclusive to members only

Also, currently (not sure how long this promotion will last) they also have a $10 gift-card offer to all new members.


Every once in a while, Home Depot, Lowe's, Sears and Northern Tool have some good sales and you can find some decent prices. With Harbor Freight, their everyday prices are better than even the best sales at the other major tool retailers. I became a HFT convert years ago... I still shop at those others only when HFT is lacking stock.

I know what you're thinking... "everything from HFT is a cheap Chinese knock-off and will break the first time I use it... if it even works at all..."

I am not going to lie to you... all you need to do is read some of the poorly-translated descriptions on their packing to know these products were not made in America. However, I will say this: my tool return ratio to HFT is significantly better and more rewarding than Lowe's, Sears, etc.

HFT offers a no-questions-asked LIFETIME warranty/return/exchange on their 'house-brand' hand tools (Pittsburgh) at NO EXTRA cost.

And again, I know what you're thinking..."I only buy Craftsman tools because they are made in America and have a lifetime warranty." I am sorry to be the barer of bad news, but Craftsman stopped honoring this supposedly all-encompassing warranty in the early 90's. And they have been using both China and Taiwan for their manufacturing for more years than they care to admit.

FYI: On their power tools, HFT offers extended warranties. If you are as rough on tools as I am, then do not hesitate to add the $6-30 fee for another year or 2 of protection.

AGAIN, I can not stress this enough: Their warranty is no questions asked. If any portion of the item breaks or is no longer functioning to your satisfaction, take it back. Give them your extended warranty info (which can be recalled with your phone number after you register a product online)... and they give you a BRAND NEW TOOL.


Did I say no-questions-asked?

Oh, and don't get me started on their sidewalk sales...

[bjl584]

Are you a spokesman for HF?

This looks like spam at first glance, but you have 200 posts and have been a member for 6 years.

[toys]

spokes·man
   [spohks-muhn]
noun, plural -men.
1.a person who speaks for another or for a group.
2.a public speaker.

Synonyms: representative - speaker - mouthpiece - delegate - deputy

To answer #1... yes, I do SPEAK for them. After becoming a convert to their products a few years ago, I pass along the good-word-of-mouth advertising that I feel they deserve. I am often shocked by how many people have never heard of their store.

To answer #2, yes, I am a public speaker. One of my (many) college majors is Speech, of the oration variety.

In response to the synonyms... Do represent them? ..Sure, I would vouch for them. Am I their mouthpiece? Although, I am rather mouthy, no I am not their personal or professional mouthpiece. Have they delegated or deputized me? No, not in any form or fashion, monetary or otherwise.

Now, to the root of the word: spokesman. No, I am not a spokesman, as that word is a tad sexist. Although I would accept spokeswoman, as is the case. Spokesperson is actually the proper pc term, nowadays.


Finally, I do apologize that I appeared to be spam. I attempted to humanize my thread as much as possible to avoid such an accusation. I blame one of my other college majors (English, the grammatical variety) for my lack of an ability to do anything in a simple way.

BTW: the word brevity is not in my vocabulary.


So, bjl584, thank you for asking before simply deleting my thread. Your powers of moderation are greatly appreciated and well respected.

[toys]

Originally Posted by toys

Oh, and don't get me started on their sidewalk sales...

Forgive me, I can't resist.

HFT usually has at least 3 sidewalk sales each year. The first is early to mid March. The second is often early to mid June. And the last is usually late August to early October. Sometimes they last a week, more often only for a weekend.

And, yes, they DO sell out. And, no, they do NOT usually write rain-checks for sold-out items. However, if you arrive on the first day at store opening, and they are already sold-out (and there is inventory in the warehouse), then, YES, they will do a rain-check.

So, now you ask: How could they be sold-out when they first open?

Easy: Inside Track Club...

Members are invited to attend a special members' only sale before the merchandise is available to the general public. Depending on the individual stores, some HFT even provide refreshments for their members. It's often either after hours or the day before the sidewalk sale starts. Not only do members receive the best selection, but often at prices even better than the sidewalk sale provides.

I just stocked-up on these Mats. My back, knees and feet have yet to fully thank me commensurate with their usefulness. If you have a job that requires you to stand (or work on your knees) for long periods of time, I can not recommend these enough. The regular price is $15 for a 4 pack. The normal sale price is $10 per pack. I bought a pallet of them at $7 a pack.